It's Fun to be Brad

Brad: so far so good

If you only know Brad Goreski as Rachel Zoe's sweet but somewhat beleagured assistant on two seasons of her oh-so-addictive Bravo reality show, his just published autobiography ("Born to be Brad— My Life and Style, So Far") may not be on your radar.

If on the other hand you got to know him on this year's "It's a Brad Brad World", also on Bravo, you too may have been charmed as was I. More than showing Brad as every girl's dream of a best friend, the tv show revealed a young man who bloomed slowly, worked hard, was luckily in the right place at the right time and —most important— was smart enough to hear opportunity knocking and brave enough to rip open the door.

"Born to be Brad" is a quick, mostly happy read. Because we know Brad is now well on his way to a successful career in his dream-come-true vocation, we can make it through his childhood of "being different" in a small Canadian town. Fortunately Brad had family (and at least one teacher) to encourage him. His grandmother bought him Barbie dolls (that his father trashed), and he sewed costumes in the basement with his mother. It took a while to make it through drug, alcohol and bad fashion addictions. At 34 he's been sober for ten years and is a strong proponent of "one day at a time". He writes with gratitude, humility and good humor.

Now how could this also be a fashion book, you ask? Well, it is. If there's one thing Brad insists is the secret to looking good, it's to value yourself. You're worth it, and money has little to do with that. In parts labeled "Listen", "Look" and "Leap" and chapters such as "Playing dress up isn't just for kids" and "You are the new black", Brad dispenses fashion advice of the sort we can never hear enough:

"Comfortable doesn't mean lazy."
"Your bathing suit is not an outfit."
"It's called winter white for a reason."
"Step outside of your comfort zone and don't get locked in a uniform."

There are books to read, videos to rent, artists to know, a playlist to mend a broken heart— even a pie recipe. I particularly liked his 10 tips on how to be a good assistant. Because one doesn't start at the top.